FRANCE | WINE

BURGUNDY

WINE TOUR

JUST A TASTE

OVERVIEW

BURGUNDY

WINE TOUR

BURGUNDY REGION

EASTERN FRANCE

As a wine lover and Pinot Noir super fan, getting to visit the iconic region of Burgundy, France felt like making it to the Super Bowl. It's always nice to see grapes on the vines, but seeing this land in the winter time really lent nicely to helping understand the unique terroir that makes these wines so special. Burgundian wines (almost exclusively synonymous with their two main grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) are all about that sense of place: the combination of soil, grapes, sun, slope, climate, placement, human touch, etc. that make each wine different from the next.

In Burgundy, just a few feet over or stone's throw up or down the hill can mean the difference between "great" wine and "life changing" wine. That might sound dramatic, but if you've been bewitched by these patchwork hills and that bottled magic created by the wizards that tend to them, you know I'm not really exaggerating. I haven't even begun to truly know this region or its wine, but I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try to learn more. So, on a recent trip to Switzerland, I booked a train from Geneva to Beaune just for a day, just for a little taste of Burgundy.

TOUR

Burgundy Discovery: 1 Day Premiere Tour

burgundydiscovery.com

MORE INFO

I'm hesitant to even tell those in the wine industry that I went to Burgundy because I am so extremely intimidated by it. Which is ironic because as I immediately discovered upon arriving, there is actually nothing intimidating about the people or the land of Burgundy. Every person I met on my short visit there was kind and humble, if only a little preoccupied in conversation - not out of snobbery but purely due to the demanding nature of their way of life.

The land isn't particularly jaw-droppingly beautiful, the buildings are all various shades of neutral and modest. If you didn't know that you were in the one of the most, if not THE most prestigious wine regions in the entire world, it would be easy to just think you were in another small town in France. If you squint your eyes a little bit looking out at the hills, you might even think you are on farmland somewhere in middle America. You might forget that the hand you just shook, the one that was weathered with a bit of dirt under the nails, probably belongs to someone whose family has been making wine longer than your country has been a nation. And you might just feel so relaxed that you might not remember that the price of bottle of wine just opened is more than your paycheck.

Only when you finally taste that deeply complex yet light-bodied, balanced, slightly earthy and very delicious Burgundian wine do you remember: oh shit. This is the big leagues.

THE FULL POUR

BLOG

A DAY IN BEAUNE

I didn't go up to bat as rookie and try to explore Burgundy on my own (and it doesn't seem like the region is really set up for that kind of thing anyway). So I joined a day tour, like any sensible American tourist would. I arrived in the small town of Beaune, one of the main hubs of this wine region, the night before my tour. I had taken a train in from Switzerland via Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria before that. This was the last stop on my month long central-ish European adventure and after weeks of heavy foods and endless wine, I was about done with traveling.

But as I slowly dragged my suitcase down the rocky cobblestone streets of Beaune to my Airbnb, I had that surge of energy I always get in a new place, and an excited buzz remembering that I was about to check off one of my major bucket list items off of my list. And, knowing I had an amazing day of wine on the horizon gave me that final little push I needed to clamber up to my tiny, cozy loft perched on the old city wall.

CHECK OUT THIS CUTE AIRBNB IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO STAY IN BEAUNE

I woke up early the next day, knowing I had to try to see as much of the city as I could before my tour - I was leaving straight after for Dijon. I ran up and down the streets, wet hair from my shower halfway freezing to my head, happy smile stuck on my face like a lunatic. I was becoming more in love (and more lost) with every turn I made, having to break out into a sprint the last few minutes in order to get to my pickup point in time.

My Burgundy Discovery tour van and guide was waiting for me, packet of information in hand. (The type-A, overachiever in me gets freaking JAZZED anytime I'm handed a packet of information so I was even more pumped for this day). The plan was to go to three different regions within Burgundy: Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits, two of the 5 main regions, and Hautes Cotes, a smaller region. ("Cote" means slope.)

I was joined on this tour by two happy American couples and a half British/half French tour guide who was very knowledgable. We started by driving through some of the iconic vineyards, learning about the land and seeing some famous names I have only heard of or seen in documentaries. We weren't going to try any of those famous names today, but if I ever win the lottery, I know where I'm going.

TOTALLY NERDING OUT SEEING THESE BOURGONES VINEYARDS

Again, this land is so... normal? Almost... Indiana-like? And there aren't huge Chateaus like in Bordeaux, dotting the landscape to remind you how important these places are. There is just a gentle rolling hill with rows and rows of dormant vines, that just so happens to have a stone wall with the name of the most coveted, expensive wine in the world chiseled into it. And I love that about Burgundy. They don't need to dazzle you because the wine speaks for itself.

A BOTTLE OF 1945 ROMANEE CONTI SOLD AT AN AUCTION FOR A CASUAL $558,000

Our first stop was at Domaine Michel Pruiner & Fille in the Auxey Duresses village in Cote de Beaune. Cote de Beaune is most well known for it's spectacular chardonnays. Like a lot of people who drank too much buttery chardonnay in their formative years because their Nana always let you drink it with her (anyone else?), I don't get too excited when chardonnay is on the tasting menu. But, I knew that White Burgundy is a whole different ballgame, so I was open to it. Fine! Twist my arm, I'll drink it!

VIGNERON, AND MY NEW GRANDPA, MICHEL PRUNIER

And then we walked up to the winery and lo and behold, the "vigneron" (winegrower/winemaker), is the cutest man in the world. Michel didn't speak English but he smiled as he took us around his property and cellar, with our tour guide translating. He had a little twinkle in his eye, and he reminded me of my late grandfather. Him and his daughter, Estelle, run this 5th generation family domaine and their hands-on, winemaking tradition produces fold medal wines.

BEING SHOWN THE CELLAR BY THE MAN WITH HIS NAME ON THE BOTTLE WAS VERY COOL

After ducking through the blackened, low ceiling cellars and seeing where Michel himself hand turns the bottles of sparkling Crémant everyday, we tried their amazing wine. Each one was fantastic - I didn't take notes because I was was enthralled with Michel, but I remember thoroughly enjoying each one we tried and feeling like I made it to the wine promise land.

NEXT STOP: DOMAINE HENRI DE VILLAMONT, COTE DE BEAUNE

I could have stayed forever, but we had to move on to the next stop: Domaine Henri de Villamont at the Savigny vineyards in Cote de Beaune. This was a much bigger winery than Michel's, and while it was very beautiful, it wasn't as memorable as our first stop. But it was very nice, and we tried two whites and two reds that were lovely. My favorite was the elegant, Chambolle-Musigny, which I don't have a chance in hell at pronouncing correctly, but would definitely point at brutishly in attempt to order it if I ever see it on a menu.

NO CHANCE OF HITTING YOUR HEAD IN THE MUCH LARGER CELLARS AT DOMAINE HENRI DE VILLAMONT

Next was lunch, which was good for everyone's sake because I was about 10 tastings in, feeling very happy, and desperately needed some food to get me to stop talking. Thankfully the other people in my group were very gracious and listened to my rambling stories, and shared their own tales of travel around the world. We had several courses, including some escargot of course, and a cheese soufflé that was heavenly. Feeling full and friendly, we drove on to our last stop- Domaine Marcillet in the village of Fussey.

WONDERFUL LUNCH AT A TASTY RESTAURANT AND ON TO OUR NEXT STOP

The wife, Nadine, was our host on this day, and she showed us their 200-year-old cellars with the different tanks they use to make their wine, their labeling machine, and a collection of ancient wine making tools and artifacts. We tried 6 of their wines and a creme de cassis, a liquor made from black currents.

NADINE IS A BAD ASS, OBVIOUSLY

We tried a their 2017 chardonnay, as well as a 2017 Aligoté, which is another white grape varietal grown in this region. This one reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc, smelling of minerals and melon, tasting green and fresh. My favorite red was the 2016 Hautes Cotes de Beaune, which smelled earthy and mushroomy and weird - exactly what I am looking for in a red wine. Honestly, some people think I am kidding when I say that, but I am always seeking out interesting, savory, dirty reds. I was so happy to find this one and buy a bottle that I will age for a few more years to see if it gets even weirder.

HAD A GREAT TIME ON THIS TOUR AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

We drove through more of the vineyards on our way back to Beaune, and it was hard saying goodbye to my tour group when I was dropped off at the train station to head to my last stop before flying home - Dijon. BUT, full transparency - I decided that I needed more Beaune and took the train BACK again the next day just to get a few more hours with it. Still wasn't enough, and I can't wait for my next trip to Burgundy. Maybe by then I will have happened upon a buried treasure chest or something and could afford to stay a little while. You never know!